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sweetswesf · 5 years ago

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Week 15

Finally encouraged myself to work out. Big-ups to the Peleton app. I had been on a 2-week streak of no workouts after being on a week streak of working out. I decided to focus on work and not working out, and my horrible desk arrangement at home was not helping my sedentary lifestyle.

These are the books I plan to read. I haven’t cracked them open in a while. I am almost done with Becoming. I have read a few pages of the Ultimate Bible Guide. YouTube and work keep wining! I plan to try tomorrow.

I did a cool thing this week. A person from the outside Black engineering group I am apart of invited me to share my story in a virtual conference he was hosting through Udacity. I got to tell my story, through interview style, of how I transitioned to tech to 100+ people in attendance. It will be recorded so even more will get to hear. I am keeping my anonymity on this blog so unfortunately I cannot share, but if you have been reading, you know it...

One thing I keep thinking back to is when my interviewer asked what kept me focused as it seemed like I went through a lot of hardship to get here. I told him my faith. I try not to be overly religious, but it is hard when He is really the reason behind all of this.

I shared the conference link on Facebook, which was one of the first time I shared my speaking on a panel about tech with my Facebook friends. I have done many, even when I wasn’t a software engineer. Of course my granny jumped on it and shared it with all her Texas family. It is really great to have her support. I also got a share from the high school friend I met up with a few weeks ago. I didn’t get any shares from my God mother whom I reached out to when thing were most recently rough between my mother and I. I didn’t get any shares from my mother’s friend who tried to tell me how I should react a few years back in a random voicemail without ever hearing my side first. I don’t mention them to focus on what they didn’t do, or how they didn’t show up in a way that I had hoped they would, I share that to show that the people that want you to do great will support without you asking/looking around. Thank you, Cristian for liking as well! I know you’re reading. I really appreciate your support!

Sunday, I took the day to actually relax. Easter Sunday. I was more relaxed than I have felt in a while. Sure, I got back on YouTube towards the end of the night, but for the better part of the day, I turned off my electronics and just wrote down what I was grateful for, what I am looking forward to. I am appreciating this time to slow down, think, and, like my mentor said, find what I REALLY want out of life. I was inspired by a quote from one of my pastors, “The church is empty, but so is the tomb.” He is Risen!

My mom made me miss home and meat-eating when she said they cooked mac & cheese and ham and other good eats, as I stared down at my less satisfying vegan plate.

I am grateful for mine, the ability to buy the ingredients, cook them, then eat them on my own, but man did their spread make my mouth water. I should have listened to the tempeh package that said “will last in fridge for 5-7 days”. It had been sitting for twice that long and I gave it a shot because it looked fine. It was definitely fuzzy in the middle. I do not like tempeh. I have tried many times to like it and I just...can’t!

I did try this olive tapenade hummus from Sabra. I thought roasted red pepper was great. Olive tapenade is FLAMES!!

Veganism isn’t so bad. I did have some headaches from not getting enough food/fats. I caved in and started tracking my meals again and saw I was generally getting well over what I needed. This transition has been made easier since I have been playing around with different diets (vegetarianism, keto, whole30, vegan) for the past 6 years now.

I had been feeling sad because I hadn’t cooked anything in a while that I felt really satisfied by...but Wednesday gave me a 2nd wind. I cooked a sweet potato with chickpeas and threw some tahini sauce on it. OOOH WEE!!

So sad I didn’t take a picture of it. I wanted to remember it as my breakthrough meal. It encouraged me to continue with veganism, and continue with anything that is hard, but good for me. It’ll be worth it in the end. Fats, proteins, carbs. Perfect macro meal. Probably too many carbs, fats, and natural sugars, but it was damn good.

I have even checked in and prayed on my veganism, wondering if this is what God wants. I think, as long as I am not obsessing over it and I am doing it for the right reasons (my health and helping the environment) I should be good.

It was my turn to present the Python reading. I of course hadn’t done it. In fact, I was behind 12 chapters. I pulled an all-nighter to do it, and put a deck together, and present. I didn’t feel good prioritizing it over work that I got paid for (which I finished and felt good for doing). I felt like CRAP and it reminded me how important sleep is to bodily functioning. Get your 8-9 hours people!

Next week I should hear the University Programs’ deliberation on whether I stay or leave. I was deciding to wait to get a standup desk and chair for when I get a role, but regardless if I get it or not, I will still be coding from home and still needing a working station that is good for my body. It is an investment in health.

I have been really trying to prioritize my health during this quarantine, and there’s so many factors: how to eat, how to protect your skin from aging, acne, and cancer, how frequent to shower, how to breathe, how to cook, what to cook, when to drink. Here are some of the highlights of what I am doing now/what I learned:

Don’t drink water 30 minutes before or 1 hour after eating

Bodies need glucose to fight viruses

Breathe horizontally (think potbelly)

Refined coconut oil > unrefined coconut oil for cooking, as refined withstands higher temperatures

Wear sunscreen, even if indoors, as UV-A rays can penetrate through

It is recommend to shower every other day or 2-3x/week for your skin so that it is not over-dried and so that the good bacteria on your body can protect you

Vegans often lack iron, B-12 & healthy fats

Taking a lot of vegan cooking tips from Rachel Ama...check her out!

youtube

#sleep #bad girl's club #rachel ama #vegan #veganism #tech #coding #technology #hummus #becoming #michelle obama #women in tech #youtube #women in technology #black in tech #black is tech #python #peleton

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imnikyall-blog · 6 years ago

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Iron Man 3 is the best of its trilogy and here's why

Lots of you hate IM3 because of the whole plot with Adrian Killian but ya, I agree that it was sort of bad but also great, but this is not the reason behind my statement. The reason is that, IM3 shows a Tony Stark without his mask on. This film shows that Tony has emotions, that he has PTSD and anxiety, 2 things that we don't normally see on the big screen.

Usually, movies give us characters "with their masks on", meaning that they do not show mental illnesses of characters because they think that it's bad and those people are weirdos, homeless, etc. But then, you see, Tony Stark, a billionnaire, genius and philanthropist that has panic attacks and that's when all of your stereotypes about mental illnesses stops. A superhero with anxiety? Well, there, have one.

IM3 shows us the side that we have never seen of Tony, the side where he becomes like us and that shows us that he is humans like us and that you too can become a superhero. He shows that if you have anything anormal, you can become a superhero or anything you want. ANYTHING!

At one point in the movie, he even acknowlege that he does have in fact, anxiety and PTSD from Afghanistan and New York and he gets help at the end (that did not work in fact because Bruce is not a therapist but it shows that Tony wants to be helped by someone and this is showing that maybe getting a therapist isn't that bad, hell that whole scene at the end is the reason I decided to finally get myself a therapist).

Also, if you compare the two other Iron Man movies to this one, you can see that in the 2 first ones, it was always but ALWAYS about the superhero but now, it's also about Tony, more about him and that's what I love. Yes, we do love seeing those fight scenes but it's also important to have scenes that are calm like a lot of IM3.

Seeing Rhodey and Pepper being around Tony more and more in this movie was a big plus! We see that they both care about him and see that he needs help and it shows that they are people who Tony can trust. Both of them have a big role in the movie, like helping Tony with anxiety and I'm happy that they are there for him, because he really need people to trust after the events of the lasts movies.

Another good thing is Happy Hogan and Tony's relationship. FIRST! He has being upgraded to fucking HEAD OF SECURITY AND IM PROUD OF HIM!!! Also, when he was in coma and the nurse wanted to change what was on TV, did you see what TONY SAID?! He KNOWS Happy's fav TV show and wow, that is friendship goals, my dudes! He wants Happy to wake up to Downtown Abbey (?) because he cares about him! So to everyone who says that Tony only thinks about himself, go rewatch this moment, please.

Harley Keener, a kid that got to be with Tony Stark for a day or two, melted Tony's heart and you literally cannot say that it was cute. Tony and Harley were so funny together and like, just look at this, it shows that, yes, Tony did loved Harley amd was probably like "Wow, kids ARE great!" and look, he even saved Harley and he did the same for Tony.

What a truly love about them is that even after the events of IM3, Tony remembered Harley and gave him loads of new techs, including a POTATO GUN and knew that he was bullied. If we see them back together (End Game, I'm looking at youuuuu), I would like to see them reunites and being happy.

This movie is really centered about Tony and could have easily being called "Tony Stark" instead of Iron Man, because I'm sure that if you count how many times he was in his suits, Tony would win, because DID YOU SEE HOW MANY TIMES WE SEE HIS PURE AND INNOCENT FACE!? MILLION TIMES!

This whole fight at the construction site was just so good. Tony changing suits, Rhodey being there to help him, the whole Pepper thing that makes Tony mad and thinks she's dead (but she's not and kill Adrian, we love a woman everyone!)

Sorry but this movie is my life and I will never give up on it!!! If you still hate this movie, take some free time and GO WATCH IT!!!

#avengers #iron man #marvel #stark #tony #tony stark #mcu #marvel cinematic universe #iron man 3

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aubrielegault-blog · 6 years ago

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TV vs. Table

Our TV did not work tonight.

Picture a “no power” situation, as if you were sitting in a thunderstorm with candles lighting your hallways. Okay, so we had power, just no TV. We had started a fire before we knew our TV was out so our ambience was already set. Typically we have dinner in front of the TV, watching... something...anything. It can range from movies to new TV shows, to something on Netflix...to reruns of Big Bang Theory. Almost all of our dinners are in front of the tube. Which I use to love, I use to look forward to the day being done and to just sit mindlessly and relax with a meal. But in the past few months, I have been experiencing a change- I’m not quite sure what to call it or what to reference it to, but just that I needed a change in what I was doing with my downtime. See- we don’t have kids. So we don’t “need” to sit down to a table for our meal and talk about our day. Or so I thought. I thought that allowing our brains to have a vacation every night from work, from life, from thought, from just about anything (picture a flat line on a cardiopulmonary monitor... beeeeeeeeep) was good for us. It was a much-needed break from reality. We didn’t have to think, we didn’t have to do much of anything but sit mesmerized by flashing pictures and sound coming from a rectangle screen. (Sorry, but “box” isn’t cutting it anymore for the shape of a TV- we’re all rocking a 2:3 ratio now.)

Now, first, you’re going to think to yourself that my marriage is a piece of shit. When I say “we” I am referring to my husband and myself (and my dog). I already mentioned no kids. So it’s just the two/three of us. It sounds like we ignore each other and are focused on TV shows. Which, to be honest, is probably the case come later evening. But- I want to cushion the blow a bit and tell you that it’s nothing like you’re assuming. We go to bed with each other every night, we always sleep together, we cuddle in the beginning, there isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t kiss and even flirt (boob grabbing, ass smacking, teasing, the whole bit). We have sex on a regular basis- although I would have it more- but I am a rare, randy/horny female.... and my husband is 9 years older than me. When we are not “traveling” (or for me, at a shoot) we work from home- so we see each other and we have a good idea on what is going on with our work lives. We also love to go on drives and hikes (more so in the summertime) and that’s where we do one of two things- we either enjoy music (occasional podcasts) or we chat- about all sorts of stuff. So it’s not like we don’t have conversations. We’re also both independent people- in the sense of we don’t need to share or divulge every tiny little thing to someone, we’re perfectly fine with what’s going on in our heads... and we also are perfectly content with enjoying our own muses. Like- my husband can watch YouTube videos on Jeeps climbing boulders, the best way to chop wood, tiny houses in Alaska and drummers with one hand. And I- well I can swim, do yoga, read, write, listen to music.... shit, I can go to concerts, movies, dinner, you name it- by myself. And it doesn’t bother me. ...As I said, two independent people. On the flip side- I rely on David for many things (outside of just good ol’ companionship) and he relies on me for things as well. Basically, a long-winded paragraph to say, that I don’t think there is anything wrong with my marriage or my relationship with my husband. Could it be better? Always. When is that not the answer? Usually, things can always improve. But I am not writing this as a red flag to my marriage. More of an observation.

So back to... our TV isn’t working. It started off with each of us enjoying a gin martini while working- David was working on setting up the new TV and I was finishing some editing. The fire was already roaring and most of the dinner was cooking. I cam out to finish dinner- throw some salmon on the skillet and steam some broccoli. David could not get the TV to connect. So the centerpiece in our living room was a black hole for the night. I joked that he might actually have to have dinner with me at the table- which is now shoved in a corner and will only fit two people comfortably unless I pull it away from the wall. (I did this on purpose- more open space.) ...And so, we did. I plated our meal and we actually sat at the dinner table. We happened to have a growler of our all-time favorite beer, so we poured that and enjoyed a nice 12% Triple IPA with our salmon and baked potato. It was nice- like a typical dinner at a restaurant where we chatted and enjoyed a beer... only we didn’t have to tip and we had to load our own dishwasher. I knew instantly though, that we needed to incorporate this back into our lives. Do we need to do it every night? No, I don’t think we do. I’m fine with finding some sort of happy medium between enjoying some TV programs and having dinner with conversation.

After dinner... we still didn’t have a TV. At one point both of us were on the floor in front of the fireplace. We stroked our dog and spent a little time with him, after all, he is dying of cancer. The fireplace was nice. I busted out my foam roller and rolled out my back and did a few stretches. David cleaned up the kitchen. And then, we grabbed our devices. David sat down on the couch and pulled out his phone. I was inspired by the way our night went + books/podcasts that I’ve been listening too on minimalism and less tech that I grabbed my laptop to write this piece. I will say that I didn’t grab my phone and I actually did not open up my laptop and look at any social media or email sites. I simply started writing.

Even so- here we were on a random Wednesday night and after some quality time spent together we couldn’t help but to retreat to some sort of technical device. ...Or vise. And that’s really the overwhelming theme of what I have been listening and reading about- this technology that we own in our pockets are vises and we cannot live without them.

Me included.

I am slowly trying to grasp and practice this idea that life doesn’t revolve around my iPhone or my Instagram or my Facebook. Instead, those apps can be included, sporadically, into my life. And yes, I have to have Gmail to conduct business, there is no other way. But emails and social media and the internet, in general, shouldn’t BE my life.

I have a long way to go. The world has a long way to go. But I can see a small shift in how we treat those wonderful little things we call smartphones. Over time I think a lot of the population will come to the realization that we were inundated by the sheer brilliance of this technology and we were mesmerized by what it could do for us that we let it consume our lives. And, after some time, perhaps a long honeymoon phase, we are now slowly realizing that our attachment to these devices is not as worthwhile as we thought. We need balance in our lives. (One of my all-time favorite words for life is a balance.) We need to be able to use our smartphones and our technology to benefit it us in business aspects and perhaps to make a few tasks in every-day-life a little easier. But we also need to step away, turn off the TV, turn on the fireplace, and put our phones away and enjoy one another.

Random Thoughts (and quotes) on Minimalism and Less-Tech Lives

Just by trying to read a book, a good book that I am generally interested in reading, it has cut my screen time down a lot. Over the past month every time my “screen time analysis” pops up it says I am down ___ percentage. It’s been going down consistently for weeks now.

The book, Bored and Brilliant, is so far... brilliant and not at all boring.

I took a few very nice (like Portland boutique expensive) clothes items out of my closet this week. Sometimes- it just looks fantastic on while in the store and then at home, it just doesn’t work. This is what bothers me about clothes shopping... I’m all for quality over quantity. I am the type of person that doesn't mind dropping $$$ on a great pair of pants or a perfect blouse if I know that it will last a while and stay looking nice after I wash it ten times. I don’t need hundreds of options in my closet. Um, I don’t even need more than ten options. But sometimes- I fail. I buy something that in the end just doesn’t work out. And those are the pieces that are so hard to let go of. Even though I don’t love the clothes and I don’t wear them I don’t want to give them up because they cost a lot of money. ...But what good are they doing in my closet? They are taking up space. Which in the end, it takes up my time. And I want all of my time. So... the three shirts that I was clinging to, are now officially out of my closet. Now there is room for something I WILL wear.

I will have to continue my thoughts on this phenomenon- and share a lot more about the book, Bored and Brilliant. But right now, my bed is calling me. That 12% beer is telling me to close my eyes, and so I will obey its command.

#notv #minimal #minimalsim #boredandbrilliant #marriage

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shytiff · 3 years ago

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September 2021

1 - MTBS 0 pt. tried out kopsus from jannor coffee with gofood pickup promo (10k). it tasted nutty and yummy even though it seems to use regular milk. but its kinda hot. the ac was not satisfactory. finished up the word for Prof. bought jasuke on the way back. filled out IDI form since i still have energy.

2 - mtbs again but this time its 3 patients at the same time. vcalled with kris. bought some snacks in hypermart. exercised a bit and played badminton with renata. watched 3 eps of nanno.

3 - my body aches and it will be wonderful to sleep again but its already 6:40. usila today. the ac in kamar jaga was no longer cold. finally finished moms box of brownies from like 2 weeks ago. read dear benjamin. got to enjoy some silence because i napped before maghrib and the others slept early.

4 - vaccine in GCD with teh fitri, teh fany and teh rahmi. about 440ish patients. gossiped about cibeber lmao. watched the hitman’s bodyguard. samuel and ryan was hilarious.

5 - morning walk with renata. saw cilegon’s cfd. cleaned up the room accompanied by howl’s soundtrack. made spaghetti with instant bolognese sauce, egg and cheese. o seven with tri nagita. just saw prof’s email from 2nd sept, shit. tried to get some headspace to do ppt.

6 - bp with nessa (originally kia/ugd). except therere some patients in ugd lol. did excision for clavus (1st timer!) and hecting. fried tempe (1st timer!) using someone’s leftover oil lmaooo

7 - BP with zihan. had spaghetti combined with cheese egg and mom’s chicken for lunch. instant bloating :). drank hot matcha to curb the bloat. planked. ate muesli lol. did not do anything significant today :( started the origin of species.

8 - vaccine today except it starts at 10:30 since we’re waiting for the mayor. so i hung out on the screening table since the doctor room was hot. vaccine with dr lutfi. watched homcha and nanno. fell asleep

9 - vaccine with bang esa and other staffs in smp 8 cikerai. its apparently the highest point in cikerai. finished at 12-ish pm and we ate buffet lunch lol. made matcha latte again. this time with almost 1 spoon of sugar so it tastes good. i missss matcha. read 1 webinar ppt so i guess thats a little but its something. rip attention span

10 - usila. tried A BIT of duren from bu Tur for dr isip but its enough to make me retch lmao. was given labbaik chicken by bu oo. Some exercise. rly tried to make some progress but my brain just cant seem to muster

11 - kia/ugd. Some ugd patients. Spaghetti for lunch yay. Originally intended to go to cafe but i ended up falling asleep :) tried to get some progress for PPT. Involved a lot of staring into nothing. Slept at like 00:30ish am

12 - morning walk slash jog. The jogging track was finally open. Went to jannor. Ordered kopsus and meatball potato dish with gofood takeaway promo (spent a total of 30k) . The staff kindly asked whether i want to eat there or to actually takeaway lol. The meatball truly tasted like meat. The mashed potato was a bit dry. The weather was grey and cloudy, exactly my favorite. First time cooking kangkung

13 - vaccine today. 20-ish patients. Alone in kamar jaga since nessa went to mass vaccine. Zoom call with Prof. Dyed my hair blue in flow salon (1200K). got free manicure, It took 5 hrs 😅. another firsts in life. both the nail tech and hair tech said my hair was dry lmao. arrived in mess at 9ish pm. ordered nasgor in front of mess

14 - mi rebus for bfast. not too much patients for vaccine so i finished at like 10 am. napped at kamar jaga. got free rice box from dr arief etc yay :)))) got mochacinno at jannor. tried to do sumn useful but cannot. still no ppt progress aaa. watched homcha ep 6 together

15 - vaccine in al hanif. tried chicken-cakwe porridge near the school. the school was an all girls school, with ppl wearing long veils. tried to fit the placement test from cakap (12-1 pm) during the vaccination lol. had to excuse myself to the ssaem during photo sesh. napped so i could see the 17 pm cakap class but i ended up napping until close to 18 :) saw the 19 am class with lukas ssaem

16 - spaghetti for bfast. usila today. this dumbass forgot to wear komin and wore her rubber slip ons. turns out theres some money from al hanif vaccine. which is great bcs there’s literally no paper money in my wallet lmaoo. rested a bit. dr eva called and she gave me a ppt and chapter book job. sheeet theres no progress yet of Prof’s ppt. a wake up call. whatsapped with frends that planned to go to cilegon this weekend, but it ended up being the next weekend. thank god, because dr eva’s ppt deadline is 24th sept. set myself up on a spot in the vanity table so i can work in a chair (i frfr find it difficult to work on my own bed)

17 - some patients in UGD. Slept while waiting for 2 pm. Held off my sleepiness for zoom with dr Eva. 5pm cakap class. Matcha latte. 7pm zoom w dr eva. Fell asleep after that

18 - bp. Turns out teh imey also dyed her hair. cakap class abt bts' spring day lol. Worked on dr eva's ppt

19 - jogged a bit. had kopsus (20K) and fish fillet rice (27K). finished dr eva’s ppt with the given material so far. napped in mess. dr eva also revised the ppt on the same day so there’s 2 slides left (patient clinical profile and conclusion). took some time for me to get the headspace to work on ppt so i started prof’s ppt at like 7-ish. only got 1 slide. stayed awake until 11ish but i basically stopped doing useful stuff at 9 TT TT

20 - vaccine today, finished at 10 am. lounged around. went to bni to check on m-banking, still system error. transferred 3mil from my BNI atm to muamalat. tried nasi goreng roa and cakalang with added chicken shreds (20K). so goood. conversed with nessa zihan. did not open my laptop at all :) stopped by at rodalink bcs nessa wanted to buy a bike. drank matcha latte in an effort to curb sleepiness. worked on Prof’s ppt. fried the frozen kebab (35K) i bought from teh Rahmi.

21 - vaccine P3K w teh yeni teh rahmi mas oim. 3 patients. Ate some gorengan and talked lol. Did the abstract and ppt for dr eva. Worked on Prof's ppt.

22 - usila w mas oim. Had banana, bolu and protein for bfast. Ordered nasgor roa cakalang from bakuku for lunch. Felt suuuuper sleepy afterwards. Wanted to sleep again in mess but couldnt. Washed my shitton of clothes with washing machine. Heavyyy. Worked more on PPT. Too much denial this week

23 - picked some groceries @ bu rum. Kia/ugd today. Its been a while since i last checked DJJ. Successful first attempt but fail in the 2nd bcs the baby is still floating. Cooked meat and veggies with nessren. Jannor and kopsus again. Worked on ppt til my head hurts. Its a little bit more to gooo.

24 - bp. Made myself bento with nugget and left over veggies. Finished the smol details of the ppt and finally sent it. Watched shangchi @ transmart w chillegone. The film was fun! We cooked soup at mess and tri made perkedel. Watched homcha ep7. Slept

25 - Vaccine but there was no vaccine, so I went to UKK @ villa ternak cikerai with pkm peeps. its like opening a clinic but somewhere in hills area. got treated to bakso and tempe mendoan afterwards. lazed around in my bed, with no info from jkt friends who wanted to visit but suddenly they arrived lmao. went to amaris to catch up with them. thankfully it was not hourly parking. ate at saung bonang near the billiard place with heri joining us. total bill for five was 126 lmao its rly pocket friendly. heri borrowed my motorbike bcs his friend’s place doesnt have car park. thank god we brought the bike

26 - me and racheel went downstairs to get the hotel bfast. packed fruits, tempe and bread upstairs lol. put our stuffs in royal krakatau. took maxim to pulau kecil. turns out pak asep changed his number. it was raining there, so we sat a bit and got mie rebus. had lunch at amirang (my treat). there was only us inside. the food was okay but the meat was rly overpriced for its amount. went back to the hotel. went to indomaret and mess with racheel to get my stuff. my stupid impatient ass dropped atikah’s brand new iphone while pulling the hotel towel from the bathroom rack. im sorryyyyy. racheel and i swam until maghrib. atikah told us abt her boy “friend”. slept early at like 9-10ish with the usual width but longer leg space

27 - and suddenly its time to go to puskesmas. asked nessa to bring my shoes. said goodbye to friends. BP. there were a lot of patients. kanayam for lunch. i bought shades lol bcs i commute against the sun in the morning. cakap club. watched homcha. fell asleep

28 - vaccine. finished at like 10:30. tried to go to bni to install mbanking but the queue was like 20 ppl. did the outline for the red book. liqo with kak kartika. zoom meeting with dr eva. fell asleep again

29 - vaccine in sma 3 cilegon (cikerai) with bang esa and others. finished at like 2-ish pm. got 750K hehehe. mentoring with dr. Arnadi about KKD and HHS. bought rotbak with nessa. showered and cleaned and fell asleeep

30 - cooked tempe with leftover kanayam chili sauce. bp again. saw interesting cases today, such as fixed drug eruption. bought phd from gofood promo. went to jannor and got the usual kopsus with added espresso (since the min amount for gofood pick up promo was 25k). tried to do prof’s script but cannot, so i searched the literatures needed for dr eva’s project

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deniscollins · 4 years ago

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Whole Foods Founder: ‘The Whole World Is Getting Fat’

Should the minimum wage be linked to the local cost of living: (1) Yes, (2) No? Why? What are the ethics underlying your decision?

For the better part of the past decade, the Whole Foods founder John Mackey, a libertarian and health food enthusiast, has been preaching the redemptive power of what he calls “conscious capitalism.” As he tells it, when businesses find their true purpose and serve not just investors, but all stakeholders, everyone wins.

That enlightened perspective has not spared Mr. Mackey from the rough-and-tumble realities of capitalism in the 21st century. Three years ago, the activist hedge fund Jana Partners took a stake in Whole Foods and called on Mr. Mackey to institute sweeping changes to make the upscale grocery store more profitable, or consider selling it.

Mr. Mackey was blunt in his assessment of Jana. (“They’re greedy bastards,” he said.) But the hedge fund got its way. Whole Foods was sold to Amazon for $13.4 billion, Jana made a tidy profit of $300 million and Mr. Mackey found himself working for Amazon’s chief executive, Jeff Bezos, who is not exactly the poster boy for conscious capitalism.

Mr. Mackey, who has a new book out called “Conscious Leadership,” contends that under Amazon’s ownership, Whole Foods hasn’t lost its soul. The company is more tech savvy and more data driven, yes, but still Whole Foods.

Still, with its high-minded founder and the resources of one of the world’s most valuable companies behind it, Whole Foods is constantly under a microscope. The company has drawn fire for its treatment of workers during the pandemic, though Mr. Mackey contends the criticism is unfair. And Mr. Mackey’s views on things like the federal minimum wage (he’s not in favor of it) can be hard to square with his kinder, gentler vision of commerce.

This interview was condensed and edited for clarity.

How do you think business should help address some of the big challenges we’re facing, like unemployment, income inequality, health care and political divisions?

Whole Foods can’t solve all the country’s problems or all the world’s problems. We can’t take on all these problems. What we can do is do what we do. We can sell healthy food to people. We have a hundred thousand people working with the company. So we’ve been a good employer. We’ve tried to keep them safe during Covid times.

I wasn’t challenging Whole Foods to solve all of the world’s problems. But part of the idea behind “conscious capitalism” seems to be that when businesses work together they can collectively make a dent in some of these intractable issues.

We have to recognize both what business can do and what business cannot do. Any problem that we have in our society that a business can make money doing, it belongs in the private sector. Business could be doing a lot more in certain areas, if it was allowed to, like education and health care. Those are very highly regulated businesses. And so, in some sense, you have a lot more crony capitalism in highly regulated industries.

Government has to do its part. And that’s a challenge right now because the country is so divided politically. Today, it’s probably the most divided since maybe the Civil War.

America was founded on the principles of liberty and equality. It’s not either-or — it has to be both. We need more liberty. We need more equality. We need justice, and we also need freedom. All of these ideas are important and they all have to be affirmed, but it seems like we’re doing a lot of squabbling right now.

What do you make of President Trump, who has taken steps to reduce regulations on businesses and to reduce corporate taxes, but is also so divisive?

I’m not going to go there. It’s not my job to evaluate the consciousness of people and pass judgment on them. One thing I’ve learned over the years is, we are so divided in politics, whatever I say is going to upset 50 percent of the population. So my own personal politics, I keep to myself. I’m certainly not going to talk about President Trump.

I’m merely saying that business is good at innovation. It’s good at trying new things. It’s good at disrupting. But you can only disrupt things when they’re not highly regulated.

How has Amazon changed Whole Foods during the past few years?

Amazon has been really respectful of the Whole Foods culture. They’ve let us be ourselves. At the same time, there are things that Amazon does better than Whole Foods does. One of the reasons we wanted to do this merger is we saw Amazon as a technology leader, and Whole Foods was just a follower. Since Covid struck, our online sales have tripled. Could we have done that prior to Amazon? No way. From the very first day we merged with them, they pushed us to make the changes we needed to be more effective at online delivery.

Another thing Amazon has changed is that our culture at Whole Foods tended to be intuitive, managing more by the gut. Amazon is very much a company that manages through data. And if you don’t have good data and good arguments, then that’s the end of the discussion. That’s been a positive change for our company because we are making more data-driven decisions than we made previously, and, therefore, I think we’re making better decisions.

You’ve previously said you were opposed to a federal minimum wage, but you made those remarks when the labor market was more robust. Have your views changed now, given the high unemployment numbers?

Let’s make a distinction between what a private company does and what you do across the whole society. Amazon made the decision, and Whole Foods concurred with it, that we just needed to pay better. So it just came out of profits, and we just raised the pay and we made less money. When Amazon asked us to do it, we said, OK, here’s the math. It was a very big number because we had to raise everybody’s pay. And that was OK with Amazon. As a result, we made less profit for Amazon that year than we would have. Of course, the morale at the company went through the roof.

But we have to make a distinction between people working in New York or San Francisco and those in Jackson, Miss., or Shreveport, La., where the average pay is significantly less and the cost of living is significantly less. So a high, $15 minimum wage makes a lot of sense in certain cities. It doesn’t make sense in other places where the average pay is a lot lower and the average cost of living is much lower. When you force the minimum wage up artificially above the market rates, you’re going to get high unemployment, and you’re going to make certain businesses not competitive any longer because they can’t afford to pay those kind of wages without raising their prices above what the customers would be willing to pay.

You’ve been trying to get Americans to eat better for decades. How is that project going now?

Some people have been moving in the right direction, and the majority of people in the wrong direction. We can see that through the way people eat today versus the way they ate 50 or 60 years ago. Statistically, we definitely moved in the wrong direction. The whole world is getting fat, it’s just that Americans are at the leading edge of that. We’re getting fat, and we’re getting sicker, by the way. I mean, there’s a very high correlation between obesity and Covid deaths. And one of the reasons the United States has had more of a problem with Covid is simply that the comorbidities like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, they’re just higher in the U.S.

For those who don’t have access to a Whole Foods or can’t afford to shop at a Whole Foods, where do you think other companies or the government might be able to intervene to offer better, healthier options?

In some sense, we’re all food addicts. We love things that are rich, that are sweet. We love ice cream. We love popcorn. We love French fried potatoes. And the market is providing people what they want. I don’t think there’s an access problem. I think there’s a market demand problem. People have got to become wiser about their food choices. And if people want different foods, the market will provide it.

Whole Foods has opened up stores in inner cities. We’ve opened up stores in poor areas. And we see the choices. It’s less about access and more about people making poor choices, mostly due to ignorance. It’s like a being an alcoholic. People are just not conscious of the fact that they have food addictions and need to do anything about it.

And Big Food, the fast food industry, the processed food industry — they all have a lot of skin in the game. They want people to continue to consume more calorie-rich foods.

We have not done a good job of educating people about what healthy food is. I tend to think it’s going to come about through education and through people becoming more aware and conscious about eating healthier, and then the market will respond to that.

Do you see things like the Business Roundtable statement as part of “conscious capitalism”?

There is a larger move in our society toward businesses having a higher purpose besides just maximizing profits, and taking other stakeholders into account. That being said, I think there’s fundamental misunderstanding. This is not a win-lose framework. Purpose and profits are not opposites. They’re quite compatible. In fact, having a higher purpose can result in higher profits, and having a stakeholder philosophy doesn’t mean that the investors start making less money. It means that business creates strategies where the customers are getting better prices and higher quality, the employees are getting higher pay and better benefits, suppliers are getting better deals and investors are making higher profits.

Profits aren’t evil. Profits are good. Profits are what funds progress in our society. So taking away the profits and redistributing them is win-lose, a zero-sum game.

#Whole Foods

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beansnobeef · 8 years ago

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Triple Double Crunchwrap review

Didn’t I already review this? I feel like this came out last year? I’m not sure. Anyway the triple double crunchwrap is almost exactly the same as a crunchwrap, that is a tortilla wrapping a layer of lettuce tomato and sour cream, a toastada shell, beans with nacho cheese mixed in. The only addition here is a second tostada shell dividing off another layer of beans and nacho cheese. It’s a lurid amount of food, 630 (with beans instead of beef) hundred calories in a single hexagon. It’s pretty tasty, though not really novel.

In the course of creating this tumblr I’ve come to realize that taco bell really does only carry a handful of ingredients, and the widespread adoption of potatoes (and I guess the breakfast menu, which I will one day be up early enough to review) represent the most significant shifts in taco bellery in the last couple of decades.

Anyway the tostadas never manage to stay crunchy no matter how fast you eat it so it seems like kind of a waste. If you’re interested in adding an extra crunch to your burrito, try my method of crumbling up chips and adding them to the layer between the tortilla flap and burrito. They stay away from the actual liquid innards and stay crunchy throughout yer dining experience.

I went to an interview yesterday for a job that was pretty vague on the premise but sounded potentially good, only to find out it was another one of those super temporary event staffing jobs that corporations draft the young and desperate into. This coupled with an unsettlingly condescending conversation with a new friend re: basic levels of professionalism concerning meeting the minimal requirements for another job has sent my self-confidence regarding this stuff spiraling. I’m not speaking entirely out of ego or hubris when I say I’m damn capable of essentially any kind of light to medium tech style office job, and I’ve never conducted myself at work with anything less than professionalism. If the first impression I’m giving off to people is that I need a lecture on basic interpersonal project management (which, outside of my extensive work experience doing exactly that, I went to college where half my classes featured this) I don’t know where to go from here without completely compromising my identity.

In times like these, I can usually relieve my anxiety by going back and re-reading a few chapters from the dao de jing and detaching myself from these kinds of business/competitive narratives. They’re all extensive layers of discursive interactions between folks with set rules on how to operate and most of it is essentially callous and unfeeling. Or in other words the way that business works is companies put down questions on job applications like “do you have reliable transportation” or “what is your preferred name and gender identity” so they can weed out the freaks and poors while pretending (successfully pretending in legal terms) they’re just being compassionate or concerned about folks getting to work. Business relationships are a dense network of lying that are very very adamant that you pretend otherwise. And folks do, all the time in exchange for the security they offer.

Which ironically I’m fine with being involved in, I’m just literally never going to be able to be comfortable enough to pretend that I’m not involved in a literal devil machine that has caused endless suffering and effectively destroyed the earth for basically no reason. I can accept it and I can excel at it, but I cannot drink this kool-aid. I feel like I’m constantly going crazy when I have to deal with folks who don’t acknowledge it. And maybe I am, at the end of the day. I don’t have any real means to refute that possibility.

Anyway that’s probably why people get the impression that I’m not very professional, which is just hilarious (in that hysterical, maddening way) to me because my boss does hella coke and his boss is drinking himself to death and sleeps in his chair all day and his boss was arrested once for breaking into a neighbor’s house fully nude to use their shower. They’re all fucking great at bullshitting though.

#taco bell #review #triple double crunchwrap #gaslighting #vegetarian

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earthcommentator-blog · 6 years ago

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Jiaqi Hu: An Open Letter Addressed to Chinese President Hu Jintao and American President Obama

--Written during Obama's visit to China by a scholar, who has studied human problems for 30 years (Hu Jiaqi)

Dear President Obama and President Hu Jintao:

I, as a Beijing citizen, one of the most common human beings, am writing this letter to you with feelings of extreme concern. This is the second time I have presented my letter to you. As early as the beginning of 2007, I wrote a letter to 26 leaders, including you both, regardless of my humble status, and I used that letter as the preface of my book Saving Humanity. Unfortunately, I got no reply.

I think I will write to you a third, fourth or even more times. It is the in-depth study about human problems that convinces me that humanity is facing a terrible disaster: that is, the overall extinction within a few hundred years.

Maybe both you leaders have already been inclined to throw this letter as sensational and claptrap words into the trash. However, I urge you to wait for a second.

I am an atheist with a profound background in natural and social sciences, and I immersed myself in the study of human problems for 30 years. In my view, human extinction is not the result of terrible forces of nature, because that would happen millions of years later, or the religious prophecy about doomsday. What will cause the extinction crisis threatening humanity today are ourselves, and the inherent reason is the development of science and technology.

The continued development of science and technology will soon bring forth human extinction in two to three hundred years or even just before the end of this century, which will certainly take place, independent of human consciousness and is very hard to detect. This is my first conclusion of the study.

Here, I once again urge both you leaders to finish reading my conclusion of truth in my and my supporters’ opinion with a little patience, though is appears to be a fallacy to many people. After all, it is about the survival of all human beings, and it can be read through within only 10 minutes. It is worthy to waste such little time reading even if it is fallacy.

The reasons why I say that the continued development of science and technology will soon bring forth the extinction of human beings, whose survival history is only a hundred years (perhaps less than a hundred years), are:

First of all, science and technology is a double-edged sword, which can not only benefit mankind, but also destroy us. The stronger its ability to benefit humanity, the greater its destruction power. Therefore, with the advancement of science and technology, the extermination means will inevitably show up. In fact, scientific communities have reached a consensus that the high-tech world will sooner or later be the killer of humans, and some scientists have often expressed their concerns to you. However, science and technology has been in the non-rational state of development because the following three problems have not aroused people's serious attention.

Firstly, the means of extinction will inevitably be used.

When science and technology is developed to the level of leading human beings to death, the means of extinction will be controlled by the ones who dare to use them after the extinction means and the studying and manufacturing technology of them will be spread. Especially with the development of science and technology to higher levels, new means of extermination will continue to emerge, which will certainly be more inclined to be manufactured and operated independently by one person and can bring about the extinction of humans at one time. It is well-known that the behavior of a group is easier to control than that of a human individual. Moreover, a group is not guaranteed to be isolated from extremely ill behaviors if the time is long enough. Because we humans are a particular species with independent features, even the best legal system and moral propaganda can only put a better constraint on the overall effect, but can never ensure that every person is far from doing an extremely bad thing.

In my discussions with people to explore this issue, people often say that the issue can be solved by the development of education. The designing of some good social system might make people become good, rational, and not buckle down to do something bad, such as using the means of extinction. But, let us look at the recorded civilized human history of thousands of years. In which period are there no extremely bad things? In which area are there all kind and sensible people? Good education and systems can only reduce the bad guys, but not eradicate them. Moreover, the human population is extremely large, and human history is extremely long, so the number of bad guys is a great even they are just a small proportion of the total number. Major extinction of mankind allows no error. How can we put out hope on the system of education, which can not be solidly ensured?

Secondly, the means of extinction can break out of itself without intentional use by people.

There is a basic characteristic of science and technology: that is, there can be no certainty. Even some things that once regarded the best can turn out to be precisely the worst. An example such as the Freon, which has been considered as a good thing, has led to the destruction of the ozone layer. The pesticide DDT, which has been viewed as a good thing, has led to the loss of biodiversity. By the same token, the imprudent use of technological products and careless scientific experiments will lead to human extinction when science and technology advances to a level capable of extinguishing human beings. The extinction of mankind will be hard to prevent at that time.

Some people think that we can organize the best scientists to guard every high-tech equipment. Even this fancy can be achieved regardless of its possibility of being fully realized. There is no insurance for the guarding because of the uncertainty of science and technology. It is not difficult for us to draw such a conclusion from examples of mistakes made by Einstein and Newton.

It is getting more difficult to have control when science and technology is reaching more high-end places. What is more, not every scientist works at the level of Einstein and Newton.

Thirdly, the means of extinction is approaching, which may show up within this century. It will be much harder for us to prevent human extinction when it appears.

We know that science and technology was still at a very low level in the mid-18th century before the industrial revolution. But within only 200 years it has reached such a high level of development that a nuclear bomb could instantly destroy a city of millions of people, and biological toxins using transgenic technology may be more terrible than nuclear weapons. If science and technology still moves forward on the basis of such a high scientific level, it is not hard to figure out what kind of situation in which the world will be fifty or a hundred years from now. The development of science and technology is accelerating and fission-like: that is to say, the development of today is much faster than that of the past, and the development of the future will be much faster compared with that of today.

In fact, in today's scientific research, many projects that had people worried about their security are not already the problem of how much harm they might have on people, but whether they can cause human extinction. Scientists were worried about the atomic bomb and hydrogen bomb test, which would ignite the atmosphere, and the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider experiment would extinguish humans. However, those concerns seem to be unnecessary afterwards. Today scientists are worried that the European Hadron Collider experiment, which may invent the black hole, unlimited nano-robots reproduction, as well as uncontrolled intelligent robots, will be the cause of human extinction. However, these scientific studies are still in progress, and no one can stop them. Let us think rationally: There are a number of scientific researchers that you think may be the potential power of mankind's extinction. You may resolutely oppose them, but I think they are safe and strongly support them. The opponents cannot out-argue the promoters and vice versa. Since the uncertainty is the inherent characteristic of science and technology, and many high-end scientific researchers are very difficult to judge very accurately, both sides can not really convince each other. As a result, science and technology firmly moves forward, forward, and forward out of control. Even the basic reasoning tells us that your shoes will be wet if you walk along the riverside often, and you get more chances to meet a ghost if you often take night trips. When this non-rational behavior in science and technology marches forward step by step to a higher level, we are bound to run into the "ghost" and human beings also come to an end when this takes place.

We as human beings should manage our own affairs. As a very common person, I also have this sense of responsibility, a feeling that human extinction is impending. I write books, publish articles, use the Internet to present my ideas, give lectures, talk with my friends who are influential, write letters to leaders and so on. I have tried all kinds of approaches to arouse people's attention; however, in the past 30 years I have done that all by myself and have gotten little success. I am just a small potato and it is difficult for me to attract great attention. However, opinions put forward by the humble can be reasonable. Asking you two for help during Barack Obama's visit to China jumps into my mind because the United States and China are the world's most influential powers, and you are the qualified leaders capable of solving humanity's problems.

I venture to urge you respected leaders to think about a few questions: How far are we from the emergence of extinction means when scientific and technological development is at today's level? Can various systems and measures of human societies make a promise that there will be no extreme evil on this planet of 60 billion people, and no one will use the means of extinction after it shows up? Can our scientists ensure that every development of science and technology is in their control when science and technology develop to the level of destroying human beings? So, how can we solve it when we are sure about the conclusion that the continued development of science and technology will soon extinguish humans?

I think the only solution is to restrict the development of science and technology to higher levels, because there is a connection between the development of science and technology and the extermination of humans, so restriction is a unique solution.

Restrictions on scientific and technological development are not denying the role of science and technology, or excluding the use of it. Science and technology can guarantee that all humanity lives an affluent life if widely spread to all over the world.

However, it is unrealistic to limit the continued development of science and technology, but also make rational and full use of existing secure and mature scientific and technological achievements in today's society. Because today's society is a national society, even the United Nations can not control the coexistence of a number of countries, because all countries go their own ways. Moreover, the restriction on the development of science and technology will have a fundamental influence on a country's international competitiveness. Therefore, no country would truly want to implement this measure. Even I, strongly in favor of limiting the development of science and technology, firmly oppose that China takes the initiative to abandon the development of science and technology, because we all know that backwardness leaves you vulnerable to attack, a lesson we have learnt in blood from Chinese modern history. Therefore, only the great union of human beings can achieve something. The great union will generate only one world power, which will consider the fundamental interests of all humans and deal with humanity events of the future, in the absence of competition and confrontation. In fact, the great union of humans is not only necessary in avoiding extinction. A series of problems facing humanity brought by the rapid advancement of industrial civilization has greatly affected mankind's survival and well-being of the future. Examples of such issues are of environment, resource, population and so on. At the same time, some of the inherent problems the agricultural civilization possesses are particularly serious during the period of new technological conditions, such as war, terrorism, the gap between the rich and the poor, and so on. The solutions to those problems have come to a dead end. However, the great union can solve them fundamentally, and some other issues can be greatly eased and improved.

Take the environmental issues as an example. The Copenhagen meeting will be held in early December, and the meeting of you two presidents should be one of the main topics. So, what can be achieved at the Copenhagen meeting? The best estimate is that a consensus on limitation of carbon emissions can be reached, but it is just a temporary solution after the national bargaining and compromise, not a permanent cure. But the great union will make a great difference. The world power will come up with a radical program, and use its power of regime firmly implement it, which is the real solution to the problem.

More than 50 years ago, the European countries got the idea of combination, because of the fear of being isolated by the two super powers of the United States and the Soviet Union. This led to the European Union. Sensing the crisis of being marginalized by the two powers of America and China, today's European Union has accelerated the process of European unification. They have just adopted the "Lisbon Treaty", and an EU "President" is also on the way. We know that there is no unity in Europe's history, but its history has been changed, driven by a sense of crisis. Human extinction should be more serious than being marginalized, right? Is this reason more convincing?

Viewing human history, political entity has been continuously expanding, and the real obstacles to this process of expanding are transport and communication. The differences among peoples, religions, classes, languages, writings, and so on can be alleviated through the implementation of a variety of sound policies and measures. It is time for the great union of human beings, since modern transport, communications and media tools have shrunken the world into a global village!

As the two world's most influential countries, the United States and China are the most qualified to promote the great cause of unification of mankind, and the joint operation between the two countries are powerful enough to wake up the world.

Dear President Obama and Hu Jintao, you two have the authority and ability of doing your part to save mankind. The world will take instant response and the great union of human will be generated soon if you are involved in the efforts to save human beings and promote the great union. If this great aim can be achieved, your honors will go down in history and your glorious names will be forever remembered.

You two distinguished leaders should believe that this is not nonsense from an ignorant person. This is a scientific conclusion by a scholar who has conducted continuous research and thinking for 30 years.

Hu Jiaqi

November 15, 2009

Beijing

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stevestonbike · 6 years ago

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Trainers 101

I have been repeating myself to several acquaintances about this in the last while. So here is a summary of info that newbies to hardwood riding may need.

Trainers are not spin bikes, though superficially similar.

Trainers are machines that use your own road bike for indoor training. You are using your actual real presumably properly fitting road bike to ride indoors.

There are basically three types of these things.

1) Rollers: These are a set of typically 3 small drums set in a frame linked with a rubber band. You place your bike on them and ride. These require you to keep your balance and demand a lot of concentration. Very simple, but not a realistic simulation of real rides. They are excellent for skills.

2) Mags, Turbos, and Fluid trainers: These are a frame that clamps the rear wheel in place over a friction roller. The friction is supplied by magnetic induction, or fan blades (turbos), or blades immersed in a fluid container. The fluid types are the most realistic. The mag types allow for some type of adjustment. Fan types are noisy, but very simple.

3) High tech Video ride simulators: Many of these are similar to the types above. They usually clamp the rear wheel, but the resistance is adjustable by a motor or an App that can be used to simulate climbing up hills or coasting down them. There are a couple that even jack the front up and down to simulate hills. You can put a big screen TV in front and pretend you are riding in France.

Brand new cost starts at a few hundred bucks and goes up to silly numbers. I know some people who have examples of each. The video game types let you ride in a virtual world with virtual friends and sweat real sweat. The Rollers build skill, but not necessarily strength or fitness. The middle ground is the place to look for that.

Some of the Fluid or mag types can be used in limited ways with online riding communities such as Zwift. Frankly getting into that happens once you have developed strength and fitness. You can cheat and tell the simulator you actually weigh half of your real weight. You will blast ahead then, but then you are here for the wrong reason.

I have a Fluid trainer. It is respected for being tough, reliable and a good reflection of real rides outside. Fluid trainer resistance increases with wheel speed in the same way actual resistance increases with road speed. Mine has a dongle to talk to an Iphone or Android with training exercises and results monitoring. When I talk about FTP and Watts on the hardwood that is where it comes from.

If you can figure Watts from speed or if the machine actually reads Watts directly that is a good thing.

Some of Charlie want to keep going over the winter to hold on to the fitness they built up. Very reasonable. That is why I have one. I get out most weekends, but one ride per week is too little. Your body needs at least one more than that. Athletes in training will train 6 days a week and on one of those days ride easy for a rest day but still ride. Hard core is hard core.

Trainers are also a good place to build up fitness when you start out so you can ride better in the real world once you go out for real. When I started fully half my time on the bike over the first 6 months was on a trainer. I knew I had a deep hole to dig out of. Couch potatoes have deep roots. I was a fully certified potato, drinking fizzy drinks and watching sports on TV. Then I got better. The trainer was a big part of that.

As is often the case I knew shit and at first bought the least expensive mag trainer I could find. After I realized it was a piece of shit I upgraded to a good one, my infamous green monster.

Adjustability with a lever or a screw is called a feature, but it indicates a poor design to me. Fluid resistance or some kind of motor / generator is best if it can vary with speed like in the real world. The plot of resistance vs speed is not a straight line and clamping down a brake is not the way a real hill feels.

That last bit is a pet peeve of mine with Spin Bikes. Good ones offer proper resistance curves and do not have levers or screws to adjust resistance. Most also do not have gears so you cannot shift speeds as you would on a real bike on a real road. That is quite important actually. That said spin classes are a good thing if it gets you motivated.

Motivation is kinda weird. If I have a day when I usually do a trainer ride like today. I have to make an effort to not do it. If there is an event or thing that conflicts with it I have to make a decision and my first choice is to do the ride. I get twitchy. This is just my routine.

Hardwood rides are hard and they should be. If not why do them at all. They are worth it.

#bike trainers #fluid trainers #mag trainers #spin bikes #Pedal Dammit

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smokeybrand · 7 years ago

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Smokey brand Game Review: Disappointed

It’s almost been a year since Andromeda has been released and i’ve finally beaten it. I would have don so sooner but i kind of sold my copy because it sucked. Out of box, straight vanilla, this game was near unplayable and it stayed that way for a long time. It took, what? three or four patches for this thing to be “fixed” and they didn’t even fix the actual lingering issues. This thing is still glitchy as f*ck but i muddled through. With a much better understanding of Andromeda’s strengths and it’s many, many weaknesses, here’s what i think of it.

The Good

I rather enjoyed the companions, especially Cora. Out of all of the available romance options, i found her to be the most endearing. Peebee is a close second but watching Cora interact with Ryder just upset be me. It’s so organic, so compassionate; It is the pinnacle of what this game could have been and it both endearing and mad frustrating.

This game is goddamn gorgeous. Graphically, i cannot gush enough about how great this thing looks. Environments and ambient details pop with all of the power the PS4 can muster. Character models are detailed and look fantastic.

There’s a ton of potential here. 600 years marooned in an alien galaxy sets up stakes that could be very real, very visceral and compelling. Thing is though, they squandered all of that. There’s real follow through. You’re just kind of there and it sucks. But the potential tales that could have been told? Mad profound, yo. Missed opportunity, for sure.

The Bad

Ryder is sh*t. Male Ryder is passable but Female Ryder? Oh my god! Chick looks like a monster, even after the patches. They did not help at all! More than that, though, Ryder is a stale analogue for the player. Whereas Shepard was this galactic badass who kept a cool head in the most hectic of times, they till felt conflicted and, at time, defeated. They felt human. They felt real. Ryder feels like a character of hat an SJW thinks a superman would be. They’re messy, unsubstantiated, and kind of drab by comparison. That sucks because Ryder is your POV character. They're YOUR analogue in-game. That means YOU are kind of a fart!

You spend entirely too much time in that goddamn Mako knock off! i f*cking hate the fact that i have to drive all over a goddamn map, searching for little hideaways and whatnot, instead of progressing relationships or developing my cast of characters. You’re in this goddamn car 90 percent of the time! How is that fun?? Who thought that nonsense was a good idea??

As dope as those character models look, even after the patches, they still feel like dolls. They still feel wooden and fake. With the exception of certain romance scenes, the facial animations are still sh*t. A year out and they’re still sh*t. I read somewhere in order to fix that, Bioware would have to take the entire game back to formula and rebuild all of it. That’s f*cking ridiculous. There’s no way you release a game like this, one that heavily depends of the characters endearing themselves to the player, look like emotionless, uncanny valley, denizens! Time and commitment could have fixed all of this. Andromeda 2 could have been dope. A lot of the complaints i have for this, i had for the first Mass Effect ad look what they were able to do with the sequel. Oh, what could have been...

Speaking of, there’s this undertone of SJW garbage that kind of paints all of the women as goobers. It’s crazy to me. Like, Male Ryder is gorgeous. Straight model caliber, which makes sense because they hired actual models to be the Ryder characters. Female Ryder, though, looks like Lena Dunham. The real life woman, the actual actress they hired for her likeness, is a goddamn beauty who looks nothing like a potato! Why is it okay for the dude to look like an Adonis but the chick can’t look like an Aphrodite? And it’s not just Female Ryder. All of the female characters have been nerfed. All of them look like butts. Coming off the initial trilogy where you had stunning characters like Jack, Jessica Chobot, Miranda, and Tali, how can you justify making al of the women in your net gen entry pugly?

peaking of facial models, again, there’s, like, 6. Literally all of the Krogan looked the same. All of the Angar look the same. All of the Turians and Salarians. get that. Homogenized space genus. got it. But why do all of the Asari look the same? All of them except Peebee. What the f*ck? Sure, generic background characters i get, but the ones you interact with? they should have some semblance of individuality. When my ship doctor, a character i interact with regularly, has the same goddamn face as a background filler model, we have a f*cking problem.. Especially when that ship doctor is voiced and supposed to be modeled by Natalie Dormer!

This game is monotonous. There are next to no missions that i find fun. This thing feels like an FPS but it’s not. I mean, the first Mass Effect titles were definitely the same in that regard but there was enough variations for them to feel like their own game. They had their own flavor. Andromeda plays like f*cking Halo and that’s bogus as f*ck! If i wanted to play Halo, i would buy Halo.

Yo, 90% of this game is f*cking fetch quests. Every mission is a goddamn fetch quest! All of them. Even the goddamn loyalty missions! And there’s not even a goddamn payoff half the time! Just lapdog nonsense and a fade to black! Sh*t’s whack, son!

Speaking to that, the overall narrative is trash. If i had never played the masterpiece original trilogy, this game would be passable. But since i had and i experienced that story, this nonsense feels mad flaccid. Mass Effect had stakes. There was massive, cybernetic, Lovecraftian, horrors bearing down on the entire galaxy. In Andromeda, you’ve basically invaded someone’s home only to find someone else has ransacked it, and you spend the rest of the game basically trying to find a way to kick out the freeloader that beat out to the freeload. It’s kid of whack.

To almost belabor the point, the Kett are f*cking terrible as antagonists. They’re just awful. You can’t go from Reapers to Kett and feel like they’re a threat. Hell, you can’t go from the goddamn Collectors to the the Kett and feel like they’re a threat! As far as i can tell, the Archon is a petulant child who’s been throwing a galaxy wide tantrum because he can’t get his stolen toys to work. How is that compelling? How are those stakes??

I found myself not caring about anything going on with these characters. During the original trilogy, i was invested. I wanted to see the Normandy and her crew through whatever came their way. The Tempest assholes, i can care less about. That speaks to how poorly this characters were developed, how flaccid they are as companions. I like Cora. Cora is dope. Still, she has nothing on Tali. She has nothing on Liara. Cora, and her development over the course of Andromeda, would be tantamount an NPC on the Normandy; Someone on the Citadel after the Cerberus attack that you need to do something for, rather than an actual squadmate, in terms of quality. Cora, to me, is the best thing about Andromeda and she pales in comparison to everything about the first trilogy.

The Ugly

Electronic Arts. EA ruined this game with their greedy bullsh*t. Andromeda should have had another year and a half of production but EA wanted their money so they pushed it out in a relatively broken state. It took half a year for it to get the necessary patches to make it palatable but Andromeda, to this day, is still a mess. EA f*cked his game over before it even had a chance and then shuttered the studio after it unsurprisingly failed. Electronic Arts is the corporate succubus stealing away the life of the game industry one brilliant studio at a time.

The Verdict

Andromeda is a tech demo. It’s basically Bioware trying to figure out the physics of the Frostbite engine so they can apply that knowledge to f*cking Anthem. Anthem ruined this game. It’s ill because Mass Effect as an entire franchise was a legitimate cash cow. If EA would have just committed to this game instead of trying to cash in on that bullsh*t Destiny hype, Andromeda could have been all of that and more. Instead, EA crippled it with a lack of resources, Bioware allowed a bunch of asshat SJW pressure ruin their production aspirations, and no one play tested this thing before it launched. Everything about Andromeda is a step backward from where we were at the end of Mass Effect III. There’s a lot of potential here but ultimately, Andromeda is a goddamn disappointment and that disappointment killed the entire franchise.

I’ll probably play Andromeda a few more times, mostly because i don’t have a proper Mass Effect remaster yet, and i don’t feel like hooking up my PS3 to play the original trilogy. But, the more i played this game, the more I missed Shepard.

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becomingcongruent-blog · 7 years ago

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Metoidioplasty: Night Before Surgery to Second Day Post-Op 1/22/18

After a few hours of surgery and two nights in the hospital I am finally "home". From here on out when I say home I will be speaking of the house I am staying at during my recovery in Austin. I guess I'll start describing my experience from the very beginning. I will try and access my memory the best I can.

The day before surgery you are required to bowel prep. I was more nervous for this than for the actual surgery. I woke up around 08:00 and drank 10 oz of Magnesium Citrate. It was grape flavored and had a stronger taste to it than I thought it would have. It also had a pretty sour after taste. I didn't mind it all too much. I decided to drink it as quickly as possible. I wouldn't say I chugged it, but I definitely got it down as if I hadn't drank anything for a day or so. About an hour had gone by before the affects kicked in, and then I was on and off the toilet for the next few hours. I had soup for lunch and dinner. After dinner I took two Dulcolax tablets and then I was instructed to do my enema. This was terrifying for me. I've never put anything in my butt before. I was very sore from the amount of wiping I had done earlier in the day, and I'm pretty sure I had a hemorrhoid. I must have spent an hour in the bathroom trying to administer the enema. I was able to get about 1/3 of the saline in and then I gave up. It came out within a minute or so. I thought about giving the enema another try, but quickly decided against it. After all that fun I showered and got ready for bed.

Morning came fast and I showered again with the hibiclens soap. We arrived to the hospital about 05:15 and waited until 05:25 to head in. The staff at the hospital were very pleasant and professional. I got prepped for surgery and then Crane popped in to assure me everything would go nice and smooth. I mentioned to him that I wasn't able to complete the entire enema and he said he wasn't worried about it. Thank god!

Next thing I remember is waking up in my hospital bed. The nurse I had was very nice. She seemed like she was trying to rush me into getting up and walking around. This kind of annoyed me. I understand the importance of moving around after a procedure, but there was no need for the urgency she imposed. I was given a couple of crackers, but other than that I hadn't eaten anything solid and substantial since earlier the day before. My body just went through some pretty hefty trauma, and I don't think I was in any condition to get up and walk around yet. I didn't make it very far before breaking out in a severely dizzy sweat. My body felt like it caught fire, I had extreme nausea, and nearly passed out. Then she was rushing me back to bed. She put some cold face cloths on my head and neck. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing, and slowly started to come back around. Dinner came within minutes. I ordered chicken, mashed potatoes, zucchini, and for dessert a piece of the pineapple upside down cake. I paced myself so I wouldn't make myself sick. It wasn't easy. I feel like the nurse should have waited for me to eat dinner before forcing me to get up and walk around. I kind of got the feeling that she realized that as well.

One of my main concerns after surgery was my hands and arms were extremely numb, and tingly to the touch. I asked if this could be a side affect from the anesthesia and they weren't very sure. The nurse called Crane and he didn't know what might've caused it. I stayed overnight and was hoping once I woke up I would feel back to normal, but nothing had changed. Crane had one of his doctors come assess the situation. I was honestly pretty worried. It literally felt as if my hands and arms (from about halfway up my forearm) were asleep. I didn't have much grip strength or feeling in my fingers. Crane decided to put me on a steroid and instructed me to keep my arms elevated. I took some pain meds, the steroids, fell asleep for a bit, and when I woke up I noticed I had regained some feeling back in my hands. They decided to keep me one more night, just in case. This morning the same doctor came back to check on the status of my hands and arms. We were both very pleased with the progress I made, and he told me to go home and heal up. The nurse started my discharge paperwork and my lunch made it just in time for them to box it up for me to take home. My cousin helped me get dressed and then I was wheeled out by one of the tech guys. Luckily, we're staying about twenty minutes from the hospital. I will admit, the ride felt longer than that.

Once I made it inside my cousin helped me settle into a spot in the living room. I really wish there was a recliner or a larger couch to rest on. Right now, I am in a lounge chair and using my suitcase with a pillow stacked on it to rest my feet upon. The other option would be a two seater sofa that is very low to the ground. So, not only is it too small to lay with my legs fully extended, it would also be difficult to get up and down from.

I haven't given my genitals a look since I was in the hospital. It was much easier to lift up the johnny and take a peak than it is to pull down my pants and underwear, and then position myself in a way where I can have a good look. I'll probably examine myself in a bit and start applying some neosporin. I hope the swelling has gone down since the last time I checked. It's hard to picture what it will all look like once the swelling subsides. I've been putting gauze between my legs and every few hours I check it. So far the bleeding has been very minimal and there's a yellow/light orange color on the gauze as well. I'm curious if this is just from the surgical scrub they put all over you before surgery, or if it's fluid discharging along with some blood.

Couple of side notes:

-I am extremely gassy. I cannot stop farting, and I'm not sure where this side effect is coming from.

-Every time I stand up I have the urge to make a bowel movement, then the feeling disappears.

-I have not had my first post-op bowel movement yet. (I am not look forward to it)

-My hands are still, ever-so-slightly, numb. I am still on the steroids.

-Walking around is becoming easier the more I do it.

-I'm taking the pain meds less and less.

-I haven't needed to take the medication for bladder spasms, nausea, or muscle spasms.

-I get sleepy very quickly.

I started composing this around 14:00 on Sunday after getting settled in from the hospital. I took a break for a while and am now finally finishing this at 06:00 Monday morning. My cousin leaves this afternoon, and my mother comes in tomorrow morning. My first post-op appointment with Crane is tomorrow, Tuesday at 11:30. My mother lands at the airport at 11:20. I'll probably have to uber to my appointment. Then, she'll have to either uber to the house and wait for me, or uber to Crane's office and meet me there. We'll see!

Anyway, I feel like I'm in decent shape right now and I hope to continue this upward trend for the remainder of my healing process.

#ftm #metoidioplasty #meta #bottom surgery #transgender

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lenaglittleus · 7 years ago

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Healthy San Francisco Guide

I’ll be honest, a year ago I didn’t think it would be possible to amass a list this long. We had just moved to San Francisco and everything felt very unfamiliar to me. I couldn’t find my way around, drank many cups of bad coffee and spent most of my time looking down at my phone to see where google maps was taking me. But I was determined to figure it out. Everyone kept telling me San Francisco was small and I would find my way around in no time, but I can truly say that I didn’t believe anyone until I sat down today to write this post.

Disclaimer: Thank you to Zappos for sponsoring this post. I was compensated for my time, however all opinions are 100% my own. It was so fun getting to explore my own city and finally share this Healthy San Francisco Guide with you!

San Francisco is in fact very small. It’s less than a million people and only 7 x 7 miles across in each direction. Coming from a city of 8 million that spans 3x the size of San Francisco, Toronto feels insane by comparison. But the good news is that if you’re new here or visiting, it is far easier to explore than most people realize.

When we first moved here, I walked A LOT. I still walk a lot and even though I’ve found myself caught walking up some crazy hills, walking has allowed me to find my way around my new home and in the process put together this Healthy San Francisco Guide for you.

San Francisco may be small, but it’s mighty. Its weather is extreme, its hills a challenge and its tech moving at a pace that even this blogger can’t keep up with, but I can safely say that it is my favorite city in the entire world and I have zero regrets moving here.

GETTING AROUND

It is super important that you be prepared before coming to SF (never San Fran – read here to learn why!). The first piece of advice? Bring layers. San Francisco can swing from 50-80+ in a day. Though it tends to hang around a cool 65 degrees F throughout the year, anything is possible so bring pants, sweaters and a light jacket.

My second piece of advice? Wear comfortable shoes. As I said, exploring by foot is one of the best ways to get to know a city. Though Lyft/Uber and public transit is available, I find I really get a sense of a city by walking, but don’t fool yourself by thinking those cute sandals will cut it. That’s why I’m super excited to be teaming up with Zappos and Merrell to bring you this Healthy San Francisco Guide. There is nothing that I love more than athletic-wear companies who move into the athleisure space. It just means that not only are their shoes cute, but they’re also durable and comfortable. Merrells are my go-to hiking boot, so naturally I loved their everyday line of shoes for any adventure. I ordered mine off Zappos, which offers free shipping and returns and my shoes were on my doorstep within 2 days. Seriously, fastest.shipping.ever!

I’ve also gotten a bajillion questions from you guys about them on Instagram. I honestly can’t recommend them enough for navigating your way around San Francisco. Side note – Merrells fit true to size! I always like knowing this stuff before ordering and I went for my usual 8.5 and they fit perfectly.

1.Merrell Around Town Mid Lace | 2.Merrell Around Town Moc | 3. Merrell Chateau Mid-Pull Waterproof

Back to the guide! I’ve broken it down in two ways, by activity and by neighborhood. You guys asked for both in the THM Tribe so that’s what I did. I covered a lot of ground in the city so they’re should be a place in almost every neighborhood, with the exception of some that I haven’t explored a whole lot of (namely: North Beach, Nob Hill, SoMa and Dogpatch). I hope this guide can be helpful to those of you who are visiting San Francisco or live here and are looking to explore more of their own city. Enjoy!

HEALTHY BITES

Because we all need to know where to find the nearest avocado toast…

Jane on Fillmore –I’ve confessed my love for this place many many times. Their menu is extensive with everything from avocado toast, to salads to smoothies and it’s a great spot to have a meeting or bunk up and get some work done. (Lower Pacific Heights)

Seed and Salt – Admittedly excessively pricey but the turmeric lattes sucker me in everytime! I also love their toasts, chocolate chip cookies and pre-made salads. (Marina)

Blue Barn Gourmet – Can’t go wrong with a salad the size of your head! Their salads are enormous and even better is their large menu selection. If you just need some vegetables, Blue Barn is your place. (Marina/Russian Hill – couple locations)

Al’s Place –If I could eat at Al’s Place everyday I would. But I’d be broke. This vegetable-forward, upscale menu should be your splurge night or date night whenever you get the chance. Get the little butter lettuces and the fermented french fries! (Mission)

RT Rotisserie – this is a relatively new place (it’s the takeout service of their fancier restaurant, Rich Table) but the chicken salad here is amazing. (Hayes Valley)

Souvla – Okay, I’ll be honest and tell you that I like RT Rotisserie better than Souvla, but just about everyone disagrees with me. They now have a couple locations in the city, but get the chicken salad or sweet potato veggie salad. C recommends the lamb gyro (several locations)

NoPa/Nopalito – NoPa is California cuisine and Nopalito is California-Mexican. Both are tremendous and insanely fresh. Expect a weight but if you can get a reservation at NoPa, GO! (NoPa + Inner Sunset)

Zuni Cafe – get their famous chicken salad and find at least 5 people to help you eat it! It’s huge but totally worth it. (Hayes Valley)

Media Noche – a delicious latin spot in the mission serving up interesting and filling salads and sandwiches. (Mission)

Plow – the best brunch spot! Seriously. I still dream about their eggs and sourdough and just all around V San Francisco vibes. Prepare to wait! (Dogpatch)

Others: Sweet Green, Urban Remedy, Project Juice, Earth Bar, Nourish Cafe, Bi-Rite, Mixt, Lemonade

SOUL FOOD

Maybe not the healthiest food, but man is it good for your soul…

The Mill – their bread is everything. Particularly “the everything” sourdough loaf. I could eat this like candy. (NoPa)

Marla Bakery – one of our most frequently visited bakeries in the city. Their seeded bagel with the farmer’s cheese and trout gives an east coast bagel and cream cheese a run for its money. (Outer Richmond)

Tartine Bakery – you cannot go to SF and not stop at Tartine. Grab a baked good or their famous bread or sandwiches and head to Dolores Park for the perfect SF afternoon! (Mission)

Devil’s Teeth Bakery-we love this Outer Sunset spot. Be prepared to wait but their breakfast sandwiches are truly out of this world. (Outer Sunset)

Arizmendi Bakery – yes we’ve eaten at our fair share of bakeries in the city! Arizmendi is a favorite, but especially their selection of vegan and gluten-free goods but also their sourdough pizza dough, which I buy in bulk and freeze to use for pizza day. (Inner Sunset + Mission)

Smitten Ice Cream – my personal favorite ice cream in SF. They do single-batch servings and the cookie dough is perfectly mixed with added salty pretzels. It’s divine! (Several locations in the city)

4505 Meats – We love this casual outdoor BBQ joint. The meats are all done perfectly but definitely go hungry since you get a lot of food! (NoPa)

Outerlands – It’s hard to say if this spot falls under healthy food or soul food because there’s a little bit of both. There is always a wait on weekends but it’s a total crowd pleaser and perfect distance from the beach. (Outer Sunset)

El Techo – a rooftop bar in the Mission with amazing views of the city. The margaritas are strong and amazing! (Mission)

Fiorella – be still my pizza-loving heart! Out of this world pizza’s and delicious weekend brunch. Go here – and then hike it off at Land’s End! (Outer Richmond)

Horsefeather Bar – a bar with amazing cocktails in NoPa. Perfect nightcap to an awesome day in the city or a fun place to meet-up with friends. (NoPa)

Burma Superstar/B Star/Burma Love – If you can get into the original Burma Superstar, GO but if not their sister restaurants come in a close second. Don’t miss out on the tea leaf salad, which is truly a party in your mouth! (Inner Richmond/SoMa)

Wearing the Merrell Chateau Mid-Pull Waterproof

COFFEE + MATCHA

The most important meal of the day…

Wrecking Ball Coffee – tiny coffee shop in the Marina that is probably best known for its pineapple wallpaper. It always helps when the coffee tastes as great as the Insta picture looks. (Marina)

Reveille Coffee – GREAT coffee and cool atmosphere. Their food is very good as well and a great place to hunker down and get some work done (Castro, North Beach + Mission Bay)

Jane on Fillmore – Always a good take on matcha or a solid almond milk latte. I’m usually there for the food but I totally support their libations as well! (Lower Pacific Heights)

Hollow Cafe – I have to thank my friend Lara for introducing me to this place. They hands-down make the best matcha latte in the city. There is simply no comparison! (Inner Sunset)

The Richfield – a close second, I love the matcha latte here but their coffee is pretty solid too. (Inner Richmond)

Blue Bottle Coffee – a San Francisco staple. It’s very good coffee and has built a reputation for a reason. I wouldn’t say I flock here frequently but I definitely stop by if I see one in the neighborhood (throughout the city)

Wearing the Merrell Around Town Moc (in Turbulence)

NOT TO MISS VIEWS

Take it all in with these epic views of the city…

Baker Beach – It really doesn’t get more San Francisco than this. As I’m sure you’ve seen in the millions of pictures we’ve taken there, we LOVE Baker Beach. It offers unreal views of the Golden Gate Bridge, and on sunny days can be a nice wind-free protection at the beach. (Inner Richmond)

Corona Heights – An easily accessible urban hike and 360 views of the city. No one has visited Corona Heights and not loved it! (Corona Heights/Upper Castro)

Twin Peaks –I’ll be honest, the last time I was here was kind of traumatic as our car was broken into and my bag was stolen, but prior to this, the views were absolutely stunning. Don’t forget to take in the houses on your way up to the top! They’re super cool (Twin Peaks)

Dolores Park – Epic views meets human zoo, an afternoon in Dolores Park gives you the true San Francisco experience. (Mission)

Bernal Heights – I love this westward facing view of the city. It’s a bit of a hike, but worth it. Follow it up with some shopping down on the main strip for the full Bernal experience. (Bernal Heights)

Alamo Square – I love hanging out in Alamo Square (though admittedly don’t do it nearly enough!). This is where the famous Painted Ladies/Full House houses are located and after being under construction for years it finally reopened in the Spring. A really nice alternative to Dolores Park that is slightly quieter and less trafficked. (Alamo Square)

Ocean Beach – One of our favorite activities is to have a bonfire on Ocean Beach and watch the sunset. There is no better sunset than one on Ocean Beach. (Outer Richmond + Outer Sunset)

Marriott Marquis Rooftop View Lounge – a non-traditional suggestion, but I highly recommend going up to the top floor of the Marriott Marquis off Union Square for a drink and to soak in the views. (Union Square)

Wearing the Merrell Around Town Mid Lace (In Brown Sugar)

HIKES

San Francisco is one of those unique places where you can actually hike without ever leaving city limits! Of course, there are thousands of hikes outside the city, but if you don’t want to or cannot get out here are some hikes you can do without ever having to leave the city.

Lands End – Probably our favorite trail in the city. It’s always a crowd pleaser because of its stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin Headlands. It can be busy so prepare for tourists but nonetheless it’s a beautiful hike. (Outer Richmond)

Mt Sutro Forest – this is like Fern’s Gully in the middle of San Francisco! It’s a steep climb to get up there, but once there it’s like being in another world full of redwoods and eucalyptus trees. (Inner Sunset/Forest Knolls)

Golden Gate Park – it’s 20% bigger than NYC’s Central Park, which allows for hours of exploring. Go on a run, a walk or just take in the views from pretty much every corner of the park! (spans Inner and Outer Richmond and Sunset)

The Presidio– there are tons of hiking trails throughout the Presidio some of which make you forget you’re still in the city. There are all kinds of trails throughout so do a little research and pick one that suits your needs. (Presidio)

Bernal Heights Park – Hike up to the top of Bernal Heights and take in the views. Not a super long hike, but a nice active uphill with a beautiful westward view of the city. (Bernal Heights)

Fort Funston – this is literally a dog’s version of heaven. Totally dog-friendly, this stretch of beach (I’m calling it a hike but it’s more of a long beach walk) offers endless fun and exploring for dogs and dog-watching for crazy dog people like me. (Lake Merced)

WORKOUTS

For when you just need to sweat it out…

BodyRok – Probably my favorite workout in SF when it comes to pilates reformer. I love this challenging piece of equipment and when I’m really looking to feel strong I visit BodyRok (Marina and Mission)

Soulcycle – Sometimes you just gotta sweat it out on the bike and while I’m certainly not a dedicated soulcycler, I do love a fun, music-oriented spin every now and then. (throughout the city)

The Pad Yoga – Probably my favorite yoga studio in SF. The vibes here are just amazing and every class I’ve done here is so soul soothing and strength-inducing. I just love it (Marina).

Love Story Yoga – wonderful yoga class and absolutely beautiful location. Very insta-worthy if you know what I mean! (Mission)

Core40 – My back-up reformer class if I can’t get in to BodyRok or Soulcycle. Not my go-to but a great workout none-the-less. (throughout the city)

Yoga Tree – I call it the “Starbucks” of yoga. It’s always consistent and good. Not the most amazing yoga class, but you are guaranteed to leave feeling better. I also love that it isn’t stuffy at all like some studios in SF. (throughout the city but I like the one in the Inner Richmond)

SHOP TILL YOU DROP

I’ll be honest, I don’t do a ton of shopping but if I’m opening up my wallet it’s likely for one of these stores…

Credo Beauty – Oh how my poor wallet has suffered because of Credo. If you’ve ever wondered where I buy my green beauty products, it’s always from Credo Beauty. (Lower Pacific Heights)

Saje Wellness – I think you all know my obsession with Saje at this point. Them opening up a store in San Francisco was basically my highlight of 2017. (Lower Pacific Heights)

Marmalade – I do 90% of my clothing shopping online but I still love this little store in the Marina with “boho-chic” clothing. (Marina)

Paxton Gate – it’s a little strange that a taxidermy store made the list, but I swear I’m not going for the stuffed animals. They have awesome books, home trinkets, crystals and plants that make serious #goals for your home. (Mission)

Ferry Building at the Embarcadero – I love the Ferry Building. I know it’s so touristy, but I honestly just really love the experience (esp on Wednesdays and Saturdays when they have the Farmer’s Markets). Stop at Heath Ceramics for beautiful pottery and Cowgirl Creamery for the best.cheese.ever! (Embarcadero).

Succulence – One of my favorite plant stores in the city. It’s also a deep dark hole to all things succulents (duh), crystals and random chachkis for your home. Beware…(Bernal Heights)

Ritual Skincare – okay not really a store, but if you’re in town or live here you MUST go see my girl Katie at Ritual for the best facial of your life. Her products are all 100% natural and she is a true saint when it comes to skincare. She’s also my unofficial therapist. Seriously – go see Katie and thank me later. (Hayes Valley)

I think that’s it for now! I want this list to be ever-evolving so I’ll be adding in more places as I experience more of the city. And now when you guys send me 10 messages a day about where to go in San Francisco, I can just send you this

*Images courtesy of Rae Surbaugh (follow her on Instagram) and Bettina Bogar

Where are you most excited to check out? SF locals – did I miss anywhere?

The post Healthy San Francisco Guide appeared first on The Healthy Maven.

from News About Health https://www.thehealthymaven.com/2017/10/healthy-san-francisco-guide.html

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hottytoddynews · 7 years ago

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Enjoy our “Reflections” post — one of many vignettes and stories featuring memories of days gone by. This installment is from David H. McBride.

If you would like to contribute your own Reflections story, send it, along with photos, to [email protected].

I have always thought of myself as a modern, up-to-date person, computer literate, cell phone using, high-tech-loving senior citizen. I have all the electronic stuff we 21st-century folks have to have to operate in today’s world. I embraced the computer world early on; GPS, VCR, etc., all just fell into place.

I had no problem adapting to this type of lifestyle. In fact, I reveled in the freedom it gave me. When I took up writing about 20 years ago, the word processor gave me the boost I needed to start writing for publication instead of just for my own pleasure. But there is one thing modern science has beaten my poor old head bloody with. I just cannot master “The Self Checkout Line.”

When I first saw a “Self Checkout Line” I was delighted. Just think: a quick self-check and be gone, not having to be stuck behind 5 or 8 people, some with crying children. No more people who cannot find their checkbook. No more people with a hand full of coupons, some cut from newspapers, magazines, etc, and some printed off of a computer printer. The checkout person has to check the date and verify each and every one of the coupons before ringing it up, or worst of all, just before you get to the checkout person, the shift changes and your person has to yield to a new checker, who has to ring out the old one and get her or his stuff the way she or he wants it, so when I saw my first “Self Checkout Line” I was ever so pleased.

On my first foray into the world of “Self Checkout Lines” I was as cheerful and happy as a person could be. My list was short that day, so I deemed it the perfect day for the “Self Check Line.” On my way through the produce department, getting a small sack of potatoes, small sack of onions, head of Iceberg lettuce, and one of Romaine lettuce, I saw a sign “mangos – 78 cents each”. Loving mangos as I do, and they usually costing about a $1.45 each, I grabbed four big fine looking mangos, a loaf of French bread, some frozen biscuits, and headed for the checkout line. Getting to the line in lonely splendor, I read the instructions and began taking my purchases out of the cart.

First I placed my mangos on the scanner and looked at the screen; it said mangos 4 @ $1.49 each= $5.96 total. WHOA, WHOA, not right! Four times 78 cents should be $3.12. I took the mangos off, zeroed out, and started over. Same result. 3rd attempt, same thing. I took the mangos off and tried with the lettuce. The screen said, “Put produce on scale.” Lettuce is not sold by the pound! I tried with the onions, big confusion as to what kind of onions, much later after trying everything I knew and being unable to summon an employee, I just left everything as is where is and walked out in utter defeat, head hung down, weary in mind and body, defeated by a machine I had watched other people use with no problem. I told my wife my sad story, and she offered no condolences, just said, “You should have read the instructions carefully.”

I vowed to try again somewhere else. I have tried at Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, and several other places and have never gotten through the complete list of things to check out. I have begged for help, pushed the help needed button, and watched some person sail on through without a hitch, yet I cannot seem to do it by myself.

I am resigned to my fate of having to stand in line behind all those aforementioned folks and grit my teeth at my being too stupid to do what any person should be able to do. I watch the “Self Checkout Line” with envy as people just walk up and “Check Out” and be gone while I am still standing behind the lady fumbling in her purse for her checkbook, and sending Junior back with a box of cookies he picked up without her knowledge. I just shift from one foot to the other, and pray for patience, and wonder why I cannot master the “Self Checkout Line.”

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#hottytoddy #olemiss #oxfordms #oxford ms #mississippi #university of mississippi #the grove

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almostentirelylost-blog · 7 years ago

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Berlin Adventures

Day two of Berlin exploration was a raging success.

The first thing to be noted is that for a tourist Berlin is a silly, wonderful place. Mostly silly. What fun though. I started my day off with a leisurely breakfast and then made my way to the Technikmuseum. It’s a trio of buildings that consist of an ancient train station, and two newer multi-story warehouses all filled with technological relics of Germany’s past. Absolutely glorious, gorgeous, and wonderful. I can’t say I’ve ever seen as much history packed into one building before. It’s any geek’s dreamland. I’ll post some of the pictures I took of it at some point, but it might take me a little bit since internet connections aren’t exactly a common thing for me right now (staying with my grandparents and don’t really like bringing my laptop into the city, grandparents don’t have/want internet). Anyways, one of the newer buildings is devoted entirely to nautical/aerial tech. Four stories tall and enormous, you could spend an entire day in that building alone. Floor one is devoted to all of the earliest creations in seafaring ways, complete with incredibly detailed, scale models of earlier sailboat/ships ( I don’t know what they’re called but think like pirate ships ) That and the first attempts at underwater travel. That’s a helluva’ thing, by the way, what the first submarines were like. I cannot believe that someone willing crammed themselves into one of those little tubes and let someone else drop them into the ocean in it. Mostly replicas, lots of history, and a whole bunch of navigational artifacts.

Floor two starts off with the German beginnings in flight, along the lines of the Wright brothers, but a lot more geared towards gliders and single person helicopter like contraptions. Oh and an intro to wartime flight and weaponry, along with the very beginnings of German rocketry. Especially towards the end when they start gearing you more towards the next floor up, which is the continuation of WWI developments and the intro to commercial air travel. The first few Lufthansa planes are incredibly small and rickety looking, and yet the interior is posh like it’s designed for the very richest of the elite, which it likely was! Rockets are cool, by the way. I won’t go into detail on the next couple floors, since it’s all just progressively more modern continuations of the above. Wartime history is a little more detailed here than what I got in school, and that’s all I’m going to say.

Another notable part of this building is that the first computer ever built is stored there, even though it’s barely a computer and more of a ridiculously big calculator. The next few additions are stored there as well, or on loan from other museums. It’s pretty crazy how big 1mb of ram looks like.

Next building is the train station, which I think was actually an old Nazi depot and train station, or was maybe taken over by them. I don’t actually know that, but it would stand to reason. Filled with engines, and I mean like… engine blocks as well as train engines, all from the oldest models to some of the newer ones. Just barely outside of this is a supremely cool old brewery and a very pretty little park. Pictures of these will come at some point as well. I’d like to note real quickly that at the time of writing this, I’m sitting in a 100 something year old bar in Neu-Westend drinking a beer and a whiskey, and watching some old guy winning hundred of Euros at a slot machine. Anyways, if trains or airplanes or ships are your thing, then this is a place you should visit. If you don’t like any of those, then visit anyways (insert expletives involving science).

The last building is essential a four story tall science playground for children. There are only two things that I will point out about this one. There are live electrical experiments to play with, and there is also a cloud chamber.

Part Two of This Silly Day

Oh did I mention that this is a two part day? It is, it was long and fun, and my feet hurt now. From the Technikmuseum I wandered over to Potsdamer Platz, about a half hour walk. This is the technological, modern center of Berlin. I don’t know if it’s quite the downtown, but it sure seems like it is. I did a nice walk around the square and then settled down at a little Bavarian restaurant for food. Radler and bratwurst with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes, an excellent decision. I didn’t exactly intend to stay for more than that, but there was a table across from me consisting of Texans that were just too funny to listen to, so I stayed. Nothing quite like Americans complaining about the fact that water/soda isn’t automatically served with ice. Really, I enjoy these little cultural differences; they’re what make people-watching (one of my favorite activities) so much fun. So I drank another radler and watched them, and after the whole affair I introduced myself. Turns out that one of the guys (supposedly) was the guy that did all the lighting stuff in the Invesco field in Denver. Who knows how accurate that is, but hey I got a free beer just because I spoke English with an American accent.

Potsdamer Platz is an impressive place, and the Sony center is exactly what it sounds like, a huge technological wonderland as a testament to that corporation’s might. That’s where the Blue Man Group seems to be based, I’ve seen them before so I didn’t go to a show, but I might before I leave Berlin. Next up are the shopping malls.

This doesn’t necessarily need a paragraph, but whatever. Imagine the biggest American shopping mall you’ve been to, and then load it up with French and Japanese clothing outlets, and add in tourists speaking languages from all over the world, and then you know what those are like. Also our elderly gambling friend is now down a hundred Euros, and I’m considering buying him a beer to help him cope with that fact.

Through all of this I should really emphasize how much I like public transportation in this city. There are three basic modes; U-Bahn, S-Bahn, and busses. U-Bahn is the subway, S-Bahn is (for you Denverites) the lightrail, and busses are busses. The point being that you can get literally anywhere in this city and the outlying suburbia via one system or other, or a combination, and it’s all extremely simple and cheap to do. A day pass for all three modes of transport costs 9 Euros, and one way passes are 2 Euros a piece. Now you might be thinking “well that’s not really that cheap “but considering how far and how directly you can travel with these systems, it works out pretty well.

Next and final downtown stop for me was the musical instruments museum. I’m such a nerd for music and old instruments… that sort of place are perfect for me. They had an early Stradivari violin on display, along with countless other brands of violins, violas, harpsichords, guitars, pianos, harps… the list goes on. So many instruments from all time periods. Didn’t know that the hurdy-gurdy is an old French peasant instrument, and I bet you didn’t know that either. They also had one of those full-sized old Catholic church organs that I very dearly wanted to play, but likely would have gotten arrested for if I had. The real kicker to this place is that they host concerts of all sorts with musicians from all over the world. All classical, of course, and all in an acoustically perfect concert hall. I had the dumb luck of timing it perfectly, and got to see an Austrian piano prodigy named Mathis Bereuter play Hersant, Beethoven, and Prokofiev live. Beautiful music and he’s no older than I am. Fun little racist moment too from the elderly lady sitting next to me, when after the performance she leaned over and whispered “He’s not German, but at least he’s not the usual Asian type that plays here”.

Anyways! That’s the end of the day. Next up is the part where I’m sitting at a 100 year old bar, drinking a delicious Berliner Pilsner, and still just… watching this guy gamble away. He’s still losing, by the way, for those of you that are cheering for the guy. I know I am I want to see him make it big, damnit!

Until tomorrow!

Bis morgen!

#berlin #potsdamerplatz #altbayern #beer #tourists #music #classical #oldbars

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